DECEMBER 8, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1925 - Sammy Davis, Jr., singer, dancer, vibraphonist, trumpet player, drummer, impressionist, motion picture actor, member of the the Will Mastin Trio (with his father and uncle), a solo Capitol Records artist (1946-1949), and (posthumously) a member of the Capitol Records group The Rat Pack (2001-), is born in in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Warren Cuccurullo, songwriter, restaurant owner, guitarist who worked with Frank Zappa, founding member of the Capitol Records group Missing Persons (1980-1986), session musician, member of the Capitol Records band Duran Duran, and a solo artist, is born Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York
1962 - Marty Friedman, guitarist with the Capitol Records group Megadeth, is born in Baltimore, Maryland

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1952 - Bas-Sheva (on vocals) with Harold Mooney and his Orchestra (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Sim Sholom" and "Zorea Tzedokos" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both songs on Bas-Sheva's album "Soul Of A People" (L-8287).
1953 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the studio orchestra (Arthur "Skeets" Herfert, Harry Klee, and Warren Webb on reeds; Tommy Pederson on trombone; John Cave and John Graas on french horn; George Roberts on bass trombone;, Robert Bain on guitar; Joe Comfort on bass; Bill Miller on piano; Kathryn Julye on harp; Alvin Stoller on drums; Victor Bay, Alex Beller, Harry Bluestone, Henry Hill, Anatol Kaminsky, Mischa Russell, Paul Shure, Felix Slatkin, and Gerald Vinci on violins; Paul Robyn and Dave Sterkin on violas; and Cy Bernard and Eleanor Slatkin on cello), records the tracks "Take A Chance", "Ya Better Stop", and "Why Should I Cry Over You" at radio station KHJ's studios (now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and the Academy Film Archive) at 1313 North Vine Street, Hollywood, California between 9:00 PM and 12:00 AM. Capitol Records will issue the first song as as a single (Capitol 2703) with "Young At Heart" on the flipside, the second song in England on the album "The Rare Sinatra" (E-ST 24311), and the last song as a single (Capitol 3050) with "Don't Change Your Mind About Me" on the flipside.
1954 - The Al Belleto Sextet (Jack Martin on trumpet and flugelhorn, Jimmy Guinn on trombone and vocals, Al Belletto on clarinet, alto and baritone saxophone, Fred Crane on piano and baritone saxophone, Skip Fawcett on bass, and Charles McKnight on drums) record "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street" (arranged by Jack Martin and featuring vocals by the band) and "Jeepers Creepers" (also with band vocals) at Universal Studios in Chicago, Illinois. Capitol Records will issue both tracks on the group's album "Sounds And Songs" (T 6514).
1955 - Jackie Gleason conducts his orchestra (featuring Lou Stein on piano and 35 unlisted musicians, including 23 flutes) as the record the tracks "Close As Pages In A Book", "Goodnight, Sweet Nightingale", "You Are Too Beautiful", "Alone", "Love Letters In The Sand", and "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Gleason's album "Night Winds" (W 717).
1955 - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (Chris Griffin, Billy Butterfield, Carl Poole, and Jimmy Maxwell on trumpet, Urbie Green and Will Bradley on trombone, Goodman on clarinet, Hymie Schertzer and Phil Bodner on alto saxophone, Al Klink and Peanuts Hucko on tenor saxophone, Dick Hyman on piano, Tony Mottola on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums) record the tracks "Shine", "One O'Clock Jump", and, with the addition of Ruby Braff on trumpet, "Bugle Call Rag" and "King Porter Stomp" at the Riverside Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York. After Harry James records trumpet overdubs for "Shine" and "One O'Clock Jump" on December 12, 1955 in New York City, New York, Capitol Records will issue the first three tracks on the album "Selections from 'The Benny Goodman Story'" (S 706) and all the tracks on the CD release (8-33569-2).
1958 - Julia Lee, pianist, singer and Capitol Records artist, dies in Kansas City, Missouri at age 56
1960 - Stan Freberg (on vocals), with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Mannie Klein, Uan Rasey, and Joe Triscari on trumpet, Ed Kusby, Dick Noel, and William Schaefer on trombone, James Decker and Vincent De Rosa on French horn, Harry Klee, Wilbur Schwartz, Jules Jacob, Justin Gordon, and Fred Falensby on saxophones, Edwin "Buddy" Cole on piano, Tony Rizzi on guitar, John Kitzmiller on bass, Irving Cottler and Lou Singer on drums, and Ann Stockton on harp), records the tracks "Round Round World (Columbus Discovers America)", "Take An Indian To Lunch (Pilgrim's Number)", and "Top Hat, White Feather & Tails (Sale Of Manhattan)" at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Freberg's album "Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America" (W 1573).
1960 - The Four Preps (Bruce Belland on tenor vocals, Marvin Inabnett on high tenor vocals, Glen Larson on baritone vocals, and Ed Cobb on bass vocals), with Lincoln Mayorga directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), performs a live show at North Hollywood High School near Los Angeles, California. The group performs "Opening", "Heart And Soul", "More Money For You And Me Medley: Mr. Blue/Alley Ooop/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/In This Whole Wide World/A Worried Man/Tom Dooley/Teenager In Love", "Young And Foolish", "Rock 'N Roll", "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring", "Swing Down Chariot", "He's Going Away", "Preps Hit Medley: 26 Miles/Early In The Morning/Lazy Summer Night/Got A Girl/Big Man", and "In The Good Old Summertime". The entire concert is recorded and Capitol Records will release it on the group's album "The Four Preps On Campus" (T 1566).
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - ‎Capitol Records purchases the masters to Rusty York's titles "That's What I Need" and "Just Like You" from Goodlettsville, Tennessee based New Star Records and will re-issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 4663).
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Saxophonist Sam Butera and The Witnesses (Morgan Thomas on trumpet and saxophone, Lou Sineaux on trombone, Freddie Simon Lue also on saxophones, John Nagy on piano, Allan Seltzer on guitar, Roland "Rolly Dee" Diorio on bass, and Bobby Morris on drums) records the titles "Better Twist Now Baby", "Twistin' The Blues", "The Continental Twist", "Tag That Twistin' Dolly", "O Ma-Ma Twist", and "Come And Do The Twist" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM). Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Butera's album "The Continental Twist" (T 1677)
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Nelson Riddle conducts his own arrangements to His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Com A-Wanderin' With Me", "The Label On The Bottle", "I'm Glad I'm Single", "Oh Mein Liebchen", and "Who Can? You Can" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Riddle's album "Magic Moments From 'The Gay Life'" (T 1670).
1964 - Vocalist Jody Miller, with unlisted musicians, records the titles "I Can't Say Why", "Never Let Him Go", "I Wish I May, I Wish I Might", and "Be My Man" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Never Let Him Go" and "Be My Man" together as a single (Capitol 5353) and has yet to issue "I Can't Say Why", and "I Wish I May, I Wish I Might".
1964 - Vocalist Bobby Rydell, with unlisted musicians, records the titles "It's A Sin to Tell A Lie", "Bellazza", "Time For Tears", "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", and "Herb The Jerk" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first four titles on Rydell's album "Somebody Loves You" (T 2281) and Capitol Catalog Marketing will issue "Herb The Jerk" digitally as part of the collection "Bobby Rydell: The Complete Capitol Recordings" in 2014 which is available on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes.
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Vocalist Grace Markay records overdubs with a string section (Lou Raderman, James Getzoff, Louis Kaufman, Marshall Sosson, Anatol Kaminsky, Alfred Lustgarten, Stanley Plummer, Ambrose Russo, Albert Steinberg, John DeVoogt, and Isadore Roman on violin, Alvin Dinkin and Alex Neiman on viola, and Armand Kaproff and Emmet Sargeant on cello) arranged by Billy May and conducted mostly by Bob Bain for the titles "How Insensitive", "Theme From 'The Sandpipers'", "Look For Small Pleasures", "Born Free" with May conducting, and "What Makes It Happen?" with Bain back conducting at The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of the first four titles on Markay's eponymous album "Grace Markay" (T 2687) and has yet to issue "What Makes It Happen?".
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Brothers And Sisters (lineup unlisted) record the titles "The Ali Shuffle", "Shake A Lady", and "Run A Young'in" in Los Angeles, California with producer David Axelrod. Capitol Records will issue the first two songs together as a single (Capitol 5818) and has yet to issue "Run A Young'in".
1968 - Capitol Records band The Beach Boys perform two shows at The Astoria Theatre in Finsbury Park, London, England that are recorded and tracks from which are later released as a live album called "Live In London" in the U.K.
45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Hoyt Axton records the track "Speed Trap" and an unissued take of "It's Been Fun" in Los Angeles, California. Also this day edits are made to Axton's track "Hey, Mr. Pilot Man". Capitol Records will issue "Speed Trap" and "Hey, Mr. Pilot Man" together as a single (Capitol 3259).
1973 - Paul McCartney and Wings' Apple Records single "Helen Wheels", with "Country Dreamer" on the flipside and distributed in the United States by Capitol Records, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1980 - John Lennon is shot four times at approximately 10:50 p.m. while entering through the gates outside of his family's home at The Dakota Apartments in New York City, New York and is pronounced dead pronounced dead at age 40 on arrival at Roosevelt Hospital at approximately 11:15 p.m.
35 Years Ago Today In 1981 - The Motels, featuring Martha Davis on vocals, record the title "Take The 'L' Out Of Love And It's Over" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the song as a single (Capitol 5149) with "Mission Of Mercy" on the flipside.
30 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Les Brown and His Band of Reknown (Don Smith, Darrel Gardner, Fred Koyen, Don Rader on trumpets and flugelhorns; Mat Utal on alto saxophone; Rusty Higgins and Greg Huckins on alto and soprano saxophones; Lou Ciotti on tenor saxophone; Butch Stone on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet; Jack Redmond, Andy Martin, and Bob Payne on trombone; Stumpy Brown on bass trombone; Mundell Lowe on guitar; Eric Doney on piano; Tom Hill on bass; and Jack Sperling on drums) finish recording sessions in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California, with producer Ralph Jungheim and recording engineer Charlie Paakkari, for their Ryko Distribution album "Digital Swing"
1990 - Poison's Capitol Records single "Something To Believe In", with "Ball And Chain" on the flipside, peaks at #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Martha Tilton, singer with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra at their first Carnegie Hall Concert in 1938 and Capitol Records' first recorded artist and first female artist, dies in her sleep at her home in Brentwood, California at age 91.
5 Years Ago Today In 2011 - Paul Shure, violinist, concertmaster on hundreds of movie scores over more than 50 years, and was one of founding members of the legendary Capitol Records group The Hollywood String Quartet, dies at his home in Seattle, Washington at age 89.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1925 - Jimmy Smith, organist, Los Angeles club owner, and Blue Note Records artist, is born James Oscar Smith in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company Universal Music Group.
1958 - The Chipmunk's (Alvin, Theodore, and Simon) Liberty Records single "The Chipmunk Song" (later given the subtitle "Christmas Don't Be Late"), with David Seville (aka Ross Bagdasarian) and The Chipmunk's "Alvin's Harmonica" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Pop singles chart where it will peak at #1 on December 22, 1958. Liberty's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company Universal Music Group.
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Candix Records releases future Capitol Records band The Beach Boys' first single "Surfin’" with "Luau" on the flipside

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1963 - Frank Sinatra, Jr. is kidnapped in Lake Tahoe, Nevada